The Wish
by supermarvel85
Summary: What if you woke up one day years younger, sent back in time? And then you realized you'd been pulled into the Harry Potter Universe? One can only dream... OCs, taking place the year after the Battle of Hogwarts. Rated M for later chapters to come, due to language and adult themes. Co-written with KrizzyKitty.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 - Living in the Past**

When I woke up that morning, I already felt that something was different, even if I couldn't quite place what it was. At first, it seemed to be my body, less popping in my joints, but I thought nothing of that at first. When I opened my eyes, though, the room around me... Well, it certainly wasn't mine. Where was I? I looked around... Most of my stuff, it seemed, was here like it should have been. Same Superman poster I recognized, same full bookshelves, even if one was considerably less worn and weathered than it should be, same TV/VCR. But the walls... Mine were natural wood with a varnish coat, these were solid milky white. And the room, it was definitely much bigger.

Then, I noticed, the bed I was laying on... This wasn't even the same bed I fell asleep on last night! What was going on? How could I have been moved to another house in the night without even noticing or waking? I got out of bed and on my feet, suddenly feeling strangely shorter, then looked out the large bedroom window. I didn't even recognize the countryside scene at all. I was used to seeing the dense woods past my backyard out my own window, but here, I seemed to be in a second-story bedroom over a garage facing front. I could see a street, and then vast, rolling hills stretching off into the distance. A beautiful view, for sure, but not one that I recognized.

I turned once again back to the bedroom, when I caught the reflection in the mirror; was that really me? As I walked toward it, I ran my hand over my face, which I suddenly realized was very smooth because my beard was gone without a trace. In fact, realizing the reason I felt shorter, I saw freckles that I hadn't seen in years! Plus, the Legend of Zelda pajamas I was wearing, where had they come from? I'd never even owned any like this before!

"What... This is impossible!" I exclaimed out loud. I had just been twenty-nine years old the night before, going on thirty. Now, I looked barely even twelve years old, and I still had no idea how far from home I was, or why. This had to be a strange dream of some kind. Yes, of course, that was it.

I decided to look around the house a little. Outside my bedroom door was a long hallway, same milky white walls as my room had. A very nice bathroom was across the hall, and down the hall was one other room, but I decided to try downstairs first. I came to a big living room, and saw my parents there.

"Oh good, you're up! You have mail here," My mom told me, pointing at a coffee table with a brown envelope on it.

"What's going on here?" I asked, not sure it still felt like a dream.

My dad looked up from his eggs, "What d'you mean, 'what's goin' on'?" he asked. It was strange to hear him talk normally, as if he had never even had his first stroke.

I continued, "I mean... What happened last night? Where are we?"

My mom looked closely at me. "Ben, did you sleep okay last night? I know it's been a lot to get used to this past month, with the move and everything. Why don't you eat some breakfast?"

"Move?"

"I know England is different, but it's going to be okay. This was right, your dad's making more, and you'll be able to get the things you want. Now get some eggs and bacon, before it gets cold."

I tried to process this... England? Judging by the hills, I was sure she didn't mean England, Arkansas, which was in the flatlands, about an hour away. Could we really have moved to Europe overnight? And this still didn't explain why we all seemed to be younger.

I went on to the kitchen where my dad was, and fixed a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon. It did smell good. As I sat, I noticed a big TV positioned in the living room near the edge, where it could also be seen from the dining room, showing a morning news show. The anchors all had British accents. "Good morning, it's a beautiful day in the greater London area today, June the fifteenth, 1998. Today's breaking headlines..." I stopped chewing... 1998? Could time really have gone backwards? It was like being in the Twilight Zone or something!

I went back to eating and tried to think... If I'd somehow been sent back in time, and then something changed, shouldn't I be able to remember? I concentrated, and to my surprise, it came to me.

I could remember the last school year ending, after sixth grade, and then finding that my dad had gotten a call from someone he'd worked with many years prior. He had moved to the outskirts of London, England to open his own car business, and wanted to make my dad as his assistant manager, with a very good salary. My dad flew over first and lived in his friend's guest room until he found this house for my mom and I, then had us come as well. I also remembered being sad, saying good-bye to the few school friends I had, and all the family that lived around me on the little road I knew so well. Obviously, this wasn't exactly a trip that could be made every weekend.

As strange as it seemed, I still had my memories of the life I'd lived up til yesterday, but this new set also. Still... How and why had this happened?

I remembered that brown envelope that had come for me. Maybe it had the answers? I went over to get it. My mom saw me and said, "That thing sure was addressed specifically, look at it." I looked: Mr. Benjamin Worthington, The bedroom above the garage, 312 Danvers Drive, and the rest of my address. Something looked familiar about this style of addressing. I found a pair of scissors and cut above the sealed spot, then took out the parchment... And as I started to read, recognizing what this was, my full stomach seemed to vanish completely.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 - The Letter**

I've been a fan of science fiction and fantasy type stories, or what my mom calls "far-out stuff" for as long as I can remember. I have one of the biggest comic book collections of anyone I know, and most of my favorite movies and TV shows have something to do with swords and sorcery, space travel, time travel, or superheroes.

It should be no surprise, then, that when I first heard about the Harry Potter series, written by Joanne K. Rowling, and what they were about, it got my attention. A young boy who finds out he's a wizard, and gets to go to boarding school in a magic castle with spells, dragons, games on broomsticks, trolls, talking portraits, and other great fantasy elements - what's not to love? Needless to say, I was hooked from the start.

This letter, then, it was definitely a Hogwarts letter, unless someone was playing an elaborate trick on me. And considering that it was already clear that I'd, _somehow_ , gone back in time, it wasn't too much further of a stretch to say that magic was now real. And if they were sending me a letter... Could I really be a wizard? Could Hogwarts be... REAL?

 _Dear Mr. Worthington:_

 _It is our distinct pleasure to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

 _Term begins September 1. A member of staff will be by sometime this week to answer any questions you or your parents have, and to help you as needed with school-related shopping._

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Professor Horace Slughorn_

 _Deputy Headmaster_

"Mom? Dad?" I called out. "Um, you're not going to believe this... But... I think I'm a wizard." I waited to see what they'd say, they never were as big on the "far-out stuff" as I was, especially dad. In fact, it's a miracle I even had an interest in such things, I always wondered where it came from.

"Aren't you getting a little old to be playing pretend like that?" Mom asked calmly.

"No, this is serious. Look at this letter," I held it up for them. Mom took it and started to read, with Dad crossing the room to look over her shoulder.

My dad commented first, "Oh, it's some kind of game or something, for little kids. There's no such thing as real wizards, you know better than that."

I sighed, thinking I needed to try to explain this to them. I knew better than to mention the Harry Potter books, as they now wouldn't have even been written yet, if they even could be in this version of reality. Either way, this wouldn't go over well... "Look, the thing is... Something weird has happened. When I went to sleep last night, I was twenty-nine years old, and still living at the old house in Arkansas. We'd never moved here, or even visited. Somehow, time has gone backwards and changed, with us having moved to Europe and stuff. I think this has something to do with that."

"Ben," my mom started, "What weird comic books or TV shows have you been getting into now? Your dad has been spoiling you more lately, to try and help with this change, but if you start taking all of this too seriously again, we're going to have to stop getting you that stuff."

I sighed and looked down at the letter again. They'd never believe this. I went back up the stairs to my new bedroom, still trying to put it all together in my mind. I was a wizard, according to the letter, and Hogwarts was real. I wouldn't have believed it myself, if I hadn't suddenly woken up that morning on a continent I'd never before visited, seventeen years younger. Had I done this myself, with my magic powers? The first book, _Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone_ , had Harry unable to control his magic in his early childhood prior to his training, causing strange things to happen around him. Was that what this was?

No, that couldn't possibly be it. This was way more than turning a teacher's wig blue, or growing all of my hair back overnight. This was altering time and reality completely, and I wasn't even sure that Lord Voldemort and Albus Dumbledore _combined_ could pull off such a thing. But then, what _had_ caused it? I thought harder... Someone or something wanted me able to attend Hogwarts, and went out of their way to make it happen by making me fill the qualifications. I had to be a wizard, live in the United Kingdom, I had to be young enough, and of course, the whole thing had to be real and not fictional.

All those things had been fulfilled, apparently, but what good was it if I couldn't even convince my parents of any of it? Harry himself had it easy, really, now that I thought about it... Sure, his aunt and uncle treated him horribly, but at least they _knew_ that it was real from his mom, which was Aunt Petunia's sister; and then Hagrid, a half-wizard half-giant broke down the door of the shack they were sleeping in to make sure he got it. I looked down at my letter again. "A member of staff will be by sometime this week to answer any questions you or your parents have, and to help you as needed with school-related shopping." Well, if a teacher was coming by, then maybe there was hope after all. I had always wondered how the other Muggle-borns were able to convince their parents, if Hagrid had come to see them all, although I and some of my friends had read on the website Pottermore that Professor McGonagall had come to see Harry's Muggle-born friend Hermione.

I looked down at the letter once more. It was signed by Professor Slughorn, who I remembered taught Potions during the last two books. It made sense, now that I thought about it; if this was 1998 then it was the year after the last book and the Battle of Hogwarts. That's lucky, I thought, I'm getting to go after all the danger has passed! No more Voldemort, no Death Eaters, nothing like that.

I briefly wondered if I should try and tell some of my friends about this, as I had several friends who were also fans of Harry Potter; one in particular named Kristen or "Krizzy," but then realized again... They wouldn't have even been written yet, and may not be at all if it's now real, considering how something can't be both real _and_ fictional at the same time... And of course, this was before cell phones and the internet were what I know as well, so I had no way to get in touch with them. I sighed, I'd been nostalgic about the 1990s in my old life, but actually being back, it may be difficult to get used to the lack of modern conveniences I knew and loved.


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's chapter three! Just as a disclaimer, there is some talk of religion, Christianity, and the Bible. Nothing big, at least I don't think so, but I thought it would help to warn the readers beforehand. With that said, enjoy!**

 **Chapter 3 - Slughorn's Visit**

As it turned out, I didn't have to wait the rest of the week for a teacher to stop by; Slughorn himself arrived at my door the next day in the early afternoon. I heard the doorbell ring while I was reading a comic book, and when I looked out my second floor window, I knew who it must be. Wizards, especially full-blooded, tend to be somewhat out of the loop on Muggle dressing standards, and he was wearing what seemed to be a white labcoat over a sweater and dress pants. And I remembered the Harry Potter books describing Horace Slughorn as very large and round, and completely bald, so it wasn't hard to identify him. I ran downstairs as my mom was answering the door, Dad was at work.

"Hello, you must be Mrs. Worthington? Horace Slughorn, pleased to meet you. May I come in?" My mom gestured him into the door, eyeing his clothes strangely. "And this must be Ben! I trust that you got my letter?"

"Yes sir, I did!" I answered, grinning.

"Were you surprised?"

"Definitely! It was a strange day, no doubt."

"Ah yes, I can imagine. Well, as you read in the letter, I simply wanted to make myself available for you two, in case there was anything you were skeptical about, or simply curious. Either of you."

The three of us made our way into the living room and sat down. Mom still had a strange look on her face, as if she wasn't quite sure what to say or think. I decided to move forward with what she must have been wondering, even though I knew it had to be true now. "Well, sir, is it... You know, real? Magic and stuff?"

"It certainly is! I know that growing up as a Muggle, you must not see much - Muggles, it's the word we use for any non-magical people. But it certainly is real. If you can think of any time that something unexplainable has happened around you, that's you unknowingly using your magic power! Happens to all young wizards who have yet to start their training. Can you think of anything like that?"

"Well... You could say it has been kind of a strange week altogether, but that's a lot to explain right now..."

"Of course, I understand," Slughorn said, smiling. "Perhaps a small demonstration would help... _Wingardium Leviosa_!" Pulling his wand from his pocket, he directed his charm at the remote control, which sat on our coffee table nearby, but now floated towards the ceiling.

Mom gasped and made to snatch the remote back from the air, but was too slow and couldn't reach it. Slughorn lowered the remote back to eye level where she grabbed it, then looked at him. "How did you do that!?"

"Magic, of course. A quite simple charm, actually, your son should be able to do the same in a matter of months," he answered with a smile.

"No... No, this isn't right. Witchcraft, real witchcraft?"

"Of course."

"I can't allow that. This is a Christian home, and our Bible talks specifically against that." I lowered my head, looking at the floor. I had a feeling this was coming, and I feared that Slughorn would have no answer for this.

But he surprised me, "Oh of course! No worries there, Mrs. Worthington, I know of several wizards and witches who are practicing Christians, a few of whom even teach at Hogwarts. See, there are two types of magic: The Light Arts, and the Dark Arts. What we teach, is the Light Arts. The Dark Arts is more associated with evil deeds, and especially something we call the Unforgivable Curses. This is what the Bible is believed to speak against. Light Magic is nothing to worry about at all, I assure you."

He smiled as he finished his explanation, and as I looked back over toward Mom, I could almost see the wheels turning in her head. I wondered if this explanation would satisfy her. "Still seems strange to me..."

They talked for a few minutes, Slughorn not letting his friendly demeanor drop, and my mom still not wanting to budge, but I could tell that his words weren't being lost on her. I watched in silence.

Finally, with Mom thinking hard, Slughorn pleaded, "Mrs. Worthington, your son has a real gift, rare among those who come from Muggle families. And Hogwarts is the finest school of wizardry in all of Europe. Your son will be in good hands, I promise. Please, do not let such a gift go to waste."

"Alright," my mom said. "Ben, I'm still not sure how I feel about this whole thing, but if you want to, you're getting old enough now to decide."

"Thanks, Mom!" I couldn't even contain my own grin. I could hardly believe he had convinced her! I was actually going to go to Hogwarts!

"Wonderful!" Slughorn smiled, although my mom didn't look quite as thrilled. "Now do you have your letter handy?" I pointed it out on the table. "If you'll look here, there is a list of supplies and such, which I will be happy to help you shop for here shortly. I'm sure that your mother would also like to come along, yes?"

I looked up at her, "Mom, want to come school shopping with us?"

"Well, of course!" Mom said, almost incredulously, obviously not wanting to let me go with this man alone.

"Well I apparated over here, but I certainly don't mind sending for a car, if you'll just give me a moment..." He pulled a quill and parchment from his lab coat, scribbled a quick note, then went out into the backyard. "Down here, Sal!" An tawny owl flew down to him, and allowed him to tie the note to his leg. "Take it to whoever is on car duty right now, alright?" And the owl flew off. Even I didn't really understand what was going on, but five minutes later, we were going into the garage to find a green car that wasn't there before, old fashioned-looking and of a make I didn't recognize. The three of us got in, Mom allowing me to ride shotgun while Slughorn drove and she rode in the backseat.


End file.
